Over the past weekend, I drove myself and my daughter to the airport in the Jeep Wrangler to catch our plane to the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. After 20 miles on the freeway, she'd had enough. The constant freeway noise, coupled with the rough ride pushed her into a serious state of seven-year-old crabbiness which lasted until she saw our local Chrysler PR rep at the airport gate. Poor guy was also heading to Detroit, and had no idea he was about to be ambushed by a pint-sized automotive journalist...
"I don't like the Jeep," she told him straightaway. "It's too loud and too bumpy." I apologized for her attitude and bought her off with some over-priced Burger King fries.
At the other end of the gate area, I tried to convince her of the Wrangler's merits. I lauded its off-road capability, and reminded her that you could remove the soft-top for some fresh air fun. I told her she shouldn't judge the Jeep so harshly until after she had a chance to enjoy it in its true element.
Apparently, it didn't take. When we returned to the Los Angeles airport several days later, she opted to ride home with my husband in his Volvo S60 instead.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 10,866 miles
texases says:
04:03 PM, 01/17/08
Same complaints that I've heard for years about Jeeps. You'd better really want one to put up with it day to day.
lazyhater says:
04:36 PM, 01/17/08
That is odd, kids usually like it loud and rough, only old people want it quiet and soft. Maybe they learn young now a days!
tlcruz says:
04:45 PM, 01/17/08
Odd. I wasn't very vocal when I was younger about the car ride. I didn't pay much attention. Weirddd. I wonder how the next gen will be. Only time will tell.....
jstandefer says:
04:47 PM, 01/17/08
Funny... I consider my Volvo S60 to be too bumpy and too noisy!
I looked at the new four-door Wrangler last year. I went in thinking I wanted a four-door soft top with the manual tranny. I left there knowing that I would want a two-door hard top automatic. But then I remembered that I wanted to trade in my Miata because it was an impractical (but hugely fun) toy; the Jeep would do me no good because it was another impractical toy.
opfreak says:
05:28 PM, 01/17/08
and shes right.
the jeep for a great majority of riders is the wrong car. If you are not going to take it off road. then why get it?
desmolicious says:
06:15 PM, 01/17/08
No offense, but a 7 year old's opinion is not one that I am going to listen to when I purchase a vehicle...
But... I bet that she's smart enough to not sit in a puddle when she sees one! Ok, I think I've beaten that dead horse enough ( a previous editor complained about having to sit in a 'puddle' in the Jeep).
firstwagon says:
06:40 PM, 01/17/08
My 7 year and 4 year old daughters love their uncle's Jeep. And it's no cushy 4 door Wrangler. It's a lifted 1990 on 33 inch tires. It's slow, noisy and boucey and it's great.
If you ask them what they think about their grandparents S60, they'll tell you about the DVD player grandma bought. They haven't noticed anything else about it.
Jeeps have enormous character, that's the main reason why people buy one. Kids normally pick up on it first because they don't care about the practical stuff. Not sure why your 7 year didn't but try the top off first next time.
altimadude00 says:
08:27 PM, 01/17/08
Desmolicious --
A 7 year old's opinion is a big deal when it comes to cars because if they don't like it, you'll hear it from them every day they're in the car.
That's why DVD players and screens are a must have. Then you can have the crappiest piece of junk out there, but they'll be too distracted with watching the latest Disney movie to care.
The Jeep doesn't have those, so the kid spends more time observing it's surroundings.
firstwagon says:
09:19 PM, 01/17/08
If your Jeep doesn't have one, pop down to Walmart and for a hundred bucks... problem solved. No need for an over priced factory system.
On a side note...If your kids think they can complain about everything all the time then you need to tell them to knock it off.
If my kids complain about my car, I tell them "Fine, next time we'll take your car... What??? ... you don't have a car??? ...then be quiet until you do!"
automaton says:
11:53 PM, 01/17/08
"That's why DVD players and screens are a must have. Then you can have the crappiest piece of junk out there, but they'll be too distracted with watching the latest Disney movie to care."
Sure, well, since we don't have a DVD player in our car, we just slip them some valium and they are fine.
Crimeny, is it really that hard to deal with kids who aren't in a electronically induced stupor?
skierx420 says:
01:27 PM, 01/18/08
Every time I have a vehicle with a DVD player all my foster kids do is fight about what they are going to watch. Half the time they want it on when we are going to the store that is exactly 1 mile away in a rural area. I think DVD players are overblown anyway. I was recently teaching a kid to drive and told them to drive me a town that we go to twice a week. He spends so much time playing with his little video games that he couldn't drive there!
As for what the blog is really about. Jeeps ride like Jeeps. I love it when I get them. But I AM THE ONLY ONE that likes to have the Wranglers when I have them. My wife only likes them when it snows. But if I had to have a Jeep I would rather have the new Liberty. This way it would be great offroad and such but a livable ride everyday.
daytona_500 says:
04:02 PM, 01/18/08
I too think its sad that kids have become hooked to expensive forms of electronic entertainment. PSPs and iPods are ok, but really I think its stupid for anyone to spend the extra $$$ to get a DVD player installed.
When I was a kid I loved road trips, just looking out the window at the scenery and the cars was enough to amuse for hours. I can't imagine spending a road trip staring at a tiny 9 inch screen.
desmolicious says:
07:14 PM, 01/18/08
Nope I don't think that a 7 year old's opinion counts. As the parent, you're the boss. Hear about it from them? I don't think so...